THE PRESIDENT’S VISIT:
The photos below, courtesly of John Bellamy, captures portions of President Obama’s historic visit to the Buffalo area last Thursday where he visited a local factory, a Cheektowaga eatery, and brought his message of economic hope. His trip was short and he didn’t stop by the “Hood” but the community still felt proud to have him in town.
50c
May 19, 2010
Inside: National: Detroit Tragedy: 7-Year-Old Killed by Detroit Cops Page 4
Pridgen to Keynote Grassroots Organization’s 25th Anniversary Event Page 6
“Buffalo Has the Plan!” St John Continues to Push $500 Million Vision Page 9
Black Agenda Report Takes Another Look at Supreme Court Nominee Elena Kagan Page 15
24-Year-Old Beauty is First Arab American Crowned Miss USA Page 13
PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE PAID BUFFALO, N.Y. PERMIT NO. 164
INSIDE ROCHESTER Salute To Colored Troops “On Behalf of Those Who Lie in Yonder Hallowed Ground,” is the sixth annual salute to the United States Colored Troops (USCT), the 200,000 African American men (and their 7,000 white officers) that provided the margin of Union victory during the Civil War. The tribute begins Saturday, May 22nd at 10:45 a.m., in Riverside Cemetery, 2650 Lake Avenue, at the final resting place of, Thomas Platner, Principal Musician in the famed 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment. At 2 p.m., the salute will continue at Mount Hope Cemetery, 1133 MARSHA Mount Hope Avenue, where 12 USCT are buried. Rochester’s Buffalo Soldiers Presentation Team, (which JONES includes retired Rochester Police Captain Charles Price) will form the Color Guard. Rochester Against Illegal Narcotics (R.A.I.N.) will, along with the Buffalo Soldiers, escort people to the burial sites of the several USCT veterans. Brief biographies will be read at each site and the USCT graves will be decorated by school children. There also will be a brief review of the services of other USCT soldiers with connections to Rochester. “ On Behalf of Those Who Lie in Yonder Hallowed Ground” is free and open to the public; it’s sponsored by the Rochester Monroe County Freedom Trail Commission.
Jammin’ June Jazz Festival June 4th
Come join the second Jammin’ June Jazz Festival, at 6:30 p.m., at St. Mark’s & St. John’s Church, 1245 Culver Road. The night’s entertainment features Terrance Bruce, John Marshall High School Urban Steel Drum Band, City Spirit Youth Band, Andy Calabrese, Cindy Miller, Dave Mancini, and Present Tense Dance Group with Anne Harris Wilcox. Donations are welcomed. For more information, call (585)654-9229.
Sixteenth Annual Rochester MusicFest
Names like Najee, Tom Brown, and Roy Ayers will kick off the 16th annual RochesterMusic Festival’s Wednesday July 21st festivities dubbed “Sax In The City.” Tickets are $25 and the concert is located at the Riverside Festival Site at the corner of Exchange Blvd and Court Street. On “Motown Night”, Friday July 23rd, the lineup features: Dennis Edwards & The Temptations Review Plus The Four Tops at the corner of Exchange Blvd and Court Street. Tickets are $25. On “Neo-Soul Review Night”, the Saturday July 24th performance features Anthony Hamilton, Dru Hill & friends! The show will be in the Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial. Tickets range from $78 to $33.
In addition to the brunch, Epiphany Events will also host a Father’s Day Photo Shoots on May 23, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.; June 5, from noon to 4 p.m., and June 6, 10 to 1 p.m., at 162 Andrews Street. On May 23, the doors open at 9:30 a.m. and participants must be prompt. Prices for photos are $15 for 5x7’s; 8x10’s are $20, and packages (which include 8x10’s and 5x7s) are $30. (I plan on getting a photo taken with my family.) All purchases are cash only; no checks. Those who bring in gently used men’s clothes such as suits, jackets, shirts or ties, will receive a $5 discount off their photo package. To schedule your photo time slot, call 234-2025.
AROUND TOWN
HONOREES: The 19th Ward Community gathered on Saturday evening May 15th at St. Mary’s Hospital to honor Emma Joyner as the citizen of the year and Staybridge Suites Hotel, Paul Rosen, Mgr. as the Merchant of the year for 2010. The 19th Ward Community Association is the oldest continually operating neighborhood association in New York State. With over 22,000 residents, the 19th Ward is the largest residential neighborhood in the city and among its most diverse. The mission of the Community Association is to create a conscious multi-racial community where individual and cultural differences are celebrated, where people share a sense of community; to insure high quality services the community needs from public and private institutions; encourage resident home ownership; and to coordinate activities that improve the quality of life in the 19th Ward.
*Eureka Lodge #36 F.&A.M.(PHA) In celebration of 131st anniversary Presents “A Taste of Blues” Featuring The John Cole Blues Band Friday, May 21, 2010 7 p.m. – “Social” 8 p.m. – “Dinner/ SHOW/PARTY” $40 per Ticket R.I.T. Conference Center, 5257 West Henrietta Road West Henrietta, NY 14586 FOR TICKETS CONTACT: Any Brother of Eureka Lodge or Event Chairman Robert Mallory, III Phone: 749-4647 or email: phmasonman@yahoo.com
Now is a great time to become a first-time homebuyer.
Father’s Day Brunch and Photo Shoots A Father’s Day Brunch: Men of Honor on Sunday, Saturday, June 19th, at the Radisson Hotel Rochester Riverside, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Doors open at 9 a.m. and the event’s featured speaker is Jawwaad A. Rasheed, New York State Family Court Magistrate, Oneida County. Tickets are $35 per person or a table of 10 for $325. No tickets will be sold after June 1st and none will be sold at the door. For more information, call Sabrina Wilkerson or Yolanda McCray at 585-234-2025. Men of Honor will feature live music, vendors, photographs, and HIStory. Wilkerson says Epiphany Productions (the event sponsor) decided to host this celebration of and for men in our community. “You don’t hear about the good men in our community and what they are doing. We don’t see positive images of black fathers in media especially books. There are single black fathers who struggle to educate their children or keep a roof over their family’s heads,” she continues. “All that is presented to us is the bad. We celebrate women with Mother’s Day dinner and events, but we do nothing for fathers. That’s just not right. So we are doing something to change that in our community “No one showcases the positive that men do in our communities and the good far outweighs the bad.” Page 2
The State of New York Mortgage Agency (SONYMA) offers: • 30- or 40- year fixed interest rates that are typically below market; • Financing up to 97%; • Flexible underwriting guidelines; • Down payment assistance (higher of $3,000 or 3% of the loan amount or up to $10,000); • No points; • No financing add ons.
For more information, call
1-800-382-HOME (4663) or visit www.nyhomes.org
MYCHALLENGERNEWS.COM
THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME
MAY 19, 2010
Are a B r i e fs
Bittles is New Supervisor of Jericho Road Ministries Efforts Underway to Free Patient Voices Program
Renay Lynch!
BENEFIT FUNDRAISER: A Benefit Fundraiser for Marc L. Fuller will be held on Saturday, May 29, from 6-9 p.m. at the JFK Center, 114 Hickory and Clinton St. The event, hosted by the United House of God, is $30. All proceeds will go to Marc L. Fuller. For tickets or for more in formation call (716) 444-1991.
Buffalo Urban League Annual Scholarship Golf Tournament
Community members who want to ensure a bright future for our youth are invited to participate in the Scholarship Golf Tournament or to make direct contributions to the Scholarship program. This year, nearly 200 scholarship applications have been received. AT&T and WKBW-TV Eyewitness News are the proud sponsors for the event that has enabled the Buffalo Urban League to provide over 803 scholarships since 2000. Individuals and businesses interested in providing scholarship support or participating in the Tournament should contact Nikkei Goodwin at ngoodwin@buffalourbanleague. org or 250-2414 by June 1, 2010. Additional information about the services that Buffalo Urban League provides to the community is available at www.buffalourbanleague. org.
37th Annual EOC Graduation
The UB Educational Opportunity Center will honor over 1,000 adult students during the annual graduation ceremony on Wednesday, May 19 at 7 p.m. at the UB Center for the Arts, North Campus. The Buffalo EOC is one of 12 EOCs across New York State, providing tuition-free adult education and vocational/workforce training. Sherryl D. Weems, Ed.D.is the Executive Director of the EOC and the Associate Vice Provost for Continuing and Professional Studies, University at Buffalo. MAY 19, 2010
Renay Lynch, a Buffalo New York native, is believed to have been falsely convicted for 12 years and imprisoned for 14 years for a crime she did not commit. Her case has garnered the attention of the WETV(Women’s Entertainment Television Network) who agreed to interview Renay and her family members, and to reveal facts about her case that will point to her innocence. She has also received the attention of the Exoneration Unit in New York City, who will hopefully help to have Renay’s conviction overturned. Please tune in to WEtv Cable channel 124, Direct TV channel 260 and Dish Network channel 128 on May 25 at 8 p.m. and Tuesday June 15 at 11 a.m. There has also been a facebook page created to help garner support and additional awareness to her case. Please help us to bring Renay Lynch Home to her children and grandchildren!
Book Signing
A book signing for Adreana Martin, author of “Being Unique Is Poetry” will be held on Thursday, May 27 from 5:45 to 7 p.m. at True Bethel Baptist Church, 907 E. Ferry Street.
JUNE 19 & 20
The University of Buffalo Department of Family Medicine and Jericho Road Ministries are proud to welcome aboard Roland Bittles as the Supervisor for The Patient Voices Program. He will supervise the Community Health Organizers at the Jefferson Avenue Family Practice and the Jericho Road Family Practice. T h e Patient Voices Program is an exciting Roland Bittles new health initiative that will encourage patients to express their opinions regarding their positive and challenging experiences with the health care systems in their community. Mr. Bittles is the former Executive Director for the American Diabetes Association in Central Ohio and the long time Director of the Upward Bound Program at The Ohio State University. Roland is a member of numerous health awareness coalitions and has more than three decades of experience with community outreach and grassroots initiatives. Mr. Bittles is a Buffalo native who recently returned to the area after living out of state for decades. He is a graduate of East High School and Arizona State University
Farmer’s Market At Grider ‘Growing Healthy Together’
Businesses, organizations, churches, and residents of the Delavan-Grider community have joined together to create the Farmer’s Market at Grider. The project is headed by the Erie County Medical Center and will be open to the community in the ECMC parking lot on Friday, May 21. Long recognized as a food desert in the City of Buffalo, this neighborhood and its residents will have access to fresh, wholesome, locally grown produce. The project’s mission is appropriately stated as “A Market Place that offers a variety of approaches to healthy living.” In addition to local farmers selling their fresh fruits and vegetables, the Market’s Soft Opening on May 21st will also offer homemade baked goods, music, and more. Members of the faith community will initiate the opening with blessings. The hours of operation for the Farmer’s Market are 10 a.m. – 4p.m. every Friday until October 29. The Grand Opening of the Farmer’s Market will take place on Friday, July 9 starting at 10 a.m. Implementation of the outdoor market will encourage the development, promotion, and expansion of direct marketing of agricultural commodities from farmers to consumers and is critically needed in this community. The project also supports ‘growing farmers’ through education and distribution of plants; and serves to promote business growth, community building, and healthy nutritious dietary consumption. MY C H A LLE N GE R N E W S .C OM
Dr. Pedro Noguera, Renowned Educator, to Keynote Dropout Prevention Summit The Committee for Dropout Prevention, in conjunction with The Academic Talent Search Program at Canisius College, will host its 2nd City of Buffalo Dropout Prevention Leadership Summit on Wednesday, May 26 at 9 a.m. at Canisius College Montante Cultural Center. Nationally and internationally recognized as a renowned scholar and urban sociologist Dr. Pedro Noguera will be the keynote speaker. This day-long event is a communitywide call-to-action to share ideas for decreasing dropouts among high school students. Every member of the Buffalo community has an important role to play in helping our youth graduate high school ready for college, work and life. Participants will be able to select from five focus areas to help us come up with real dropoutreduction strategies that will work, and share their thoughts on how City Schools can better support student success overall. Businesses, non-profit organizations, educators, faith-based community leaders, higher education officials, parents, students and other concerned individuals are all invited to attend. Last year the Drop Out Prevention Summit Dr. Pedro Noguera focused on the rapidly increasing number of dropouts in the City of Buffalo and the resulting devastation to families and communities. This year’s Summit builds on the momentum and success of last year’s efforts. Specifically, this year’s summit, entitled “Changing the Odds for Students ‘At Risk’,” focuses on two important goals. First, the summit will continue to discuss ways to galvanize the community and increase parental involvement. Second, participants will work collectively to establish a city-wide dropout prevention and dropout recovery strategic action plan; a plan for which data has been gathered all year. -About the Speaker-
Pedro Noguera, PhD, is a Peter L. Agnew professor in the Steinhardt School of Culture,Education, and Human Development at New York University. He is also the Executive Director of the Metropolitan Center for Urban Education and the co-Director of the Institute for the study of Globalization and Education in Metropolitan Settings. An urban sociologist, Dr. Noguera’s scholarship and research focuses on the ways in which schools are influenced by social and economic conditions in the urban environment.Dr. Noguera has served as an advisor and engaged in collaborative research with several large urban school districts throughout the United States. He has also done research on issues related to education and economic and social development in the Caribbean, Latin America and several other countries throughout the world. In 2008, he was appointed by the Governor of New York to serve on the State University of New York Board of Trustees. His work has appeared in multiple major research journals. Dr. Noguera is the author of severall books including and The Trouble With Black Boys…and Other Reflections on Race, Equity and the Future of Public Education Dr. Noguera appears as a regular commentator on educational issues on CNN, National Public Radio, and other national news outlets. Attendees may register for summit workshops on the City of Buffalo Dropout Prevention Leadership Summit’s website; www.bflodropoutprevention.org. Organizations and individuals are welcome to sponsor this worthwhile project. For more information please call (716) 888-3280 or visit: www.bflodropoutprevention.org. Joy McDuffie is Chair. Elizabeth Caffee is Co-Chair.
African Cultural Center Assistant Director Loses Home in Fire: Organization Calls on Community for Support Alicia M. Banner, who has been assistant director of the African American Cultural Center for 22 years, lost her East Buffalo home to a fire on Wednesday evening, May 12. Ms. Banner was unharmed. Her longtime companion Wallace Owens remains in intensive care at Erie County Medical Center due to prolonged smoke inhalation. “We are calling on the community and all who know Alicia and of her longtime dedication to the children and families who have come through our Center to lend their support, in whatever capacity they are able, in her time of great need,” AACC Executive Director Agnes M. Bain said. Donations of cash, clothing and household items can be made at the front desk of the African American Cultural Center, 350 Masten Avenue. For information on other needs, call 884.2013 or email aacc@wzrd.com Page 3
WORLD NEWS ROUND-UP
Cops Attempt Cover Up in Shooting Death of 7 Year Old: Video Shows They Fired into Home DETROIT — Police who carried out a raid on a family home that left a 7-year-old girl dead over the weekend were accompanied by a camera crew for a reality television show, and an attorney says video of the siege contradicts the police account of what happened. Geoffrey Fieger, an attorney for the family of young Aiyana Jones, said he has seen three or four minutes of video of the raid, although he declined to say whether it was shot by the crew for the A&E series “The First 48,” which has been shadowing Detroit homicide detectives for months. Police have said officers threw a flash grenade through the first-floor window of the two-family home, and that an officer’s gun discharged, killing the girl, during a struggle or after colliding with the girl’s grandmother inside the home. But Fieger said the video shows an officer lobbing Victim: Aiyana Jones the grenade and then shooting into the home from the porch. “There is no question about what happened because it’s in the videotape,” Fieger said. “It’s not an accident. It’s not a mistake. There was no altercation.” “Aiyana Jones was shot from outside on the porch. The videotape shows clearly the officer throwing through the window a stun grenade-type explosive and then within milliseconds of throwing that, firing a shot from outside the home,” he said. Police arrested the target of the raid, a 34-year-old man suspected of killing a 17-year-old boy, in the upstairs unit in the two-family home. Police had warrants to search both properties, and family members of the slain girl were seen going in and out of both on Monday. The suspect has not been charged. Two prominent criminal defense attorneys said they were unaware of past instances when Detroit police used flash grenades in raids when children were possibly present. “That’s a new one,” said Detroit lawyer Corbett Edge O’Meara. “That does seem to be a pretty extreme measure. It doesn’t surprise me that the police had no concern whether they were endangering the lives of children when they made this raid.” Attorney Marvin Barnett was more blunt: “I’ve never heard that before in my entire career, that you’ve thrown a flash bomb in a house unless you’ve got an armed suspect and you know there is nobody else in the house.” The Detroit police department has been under two court-ordered consent decrees since 2003 aimed at, among other things, correcting how and when its officers use force on suspects.
East Africa seeks more Nile water from Egypt Four East African states have signed an agreement to seek more water from the River Nile - a move strongly opposed by Egypt and Sudan. Under colonial-era accords, the two countries get 90% of the river’s water. Upstream countries including Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania and Ethiopia say it is unfair and want a new deal but nothing has been agreed in 13 years of talks. A further three countries were represented at the meeting in Entebbe, Uganda, and may sign up later.
BBC East Africa correspondent Will Ross says there is a danger that the split could hamper any further efforts for all nine countries involved to negotiate how the waters should be shared. The BBC’s Wyre Davies in Cairo says that for Egypt, water is a matter of national security. Egypt has dismissed the Entebbe agreement, saying it “is in no way binding on Egypt from a legal perspective”. “Egypt will not join or sign any agreement that affects its share,” ministry spokesman Hossam Zaki
was quoted as saying by the AFP news agency. ‘Rule of the jungle’ Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda, and Rwanda signed the agreement in Entebbe, which would lead to experts determining how much water each country would be entitled to. Kenya did not sign the agreement as its minister could not attend. Like Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo, it sent officials to Entebbe.
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The department declined to say whether it was being paid by the television show.
White cop confesses he shot himself, invented Black assailant A white police officer in Philadelphia was fired this week after confessing that he shot himself in the shoulder last month and blamed the shooting on a Black assailant. According to Sgt. Robert Ralston’s original story, he stopped two men on the railroad tracks late on the night of April 5. When one of them pulled a gun and put it to his head, he knocked it away, but it went off and grazed him in the shoulder. The attacker, whom Ralston described as having cornrows and a tattoo under his left eye, then ran off. The police immediately launched a massive manhunt, blanketing the predominantly African-American neighborhood with SWAT teams and K-9 units. “I think it’s despicable,” one resident complained. “The cops were stopping every man with dreadlocks. Every black man was harassed.” “To us in Boston,” noted the Boston Globe’s James Alan Fox, “the incident is reminiscent of the Charles Stuart debacle when the police compromised the civil rights of the entire Mission Hill community in searching for the black assailant whom Stuart, a White suburbanite, claimed had shot him and his pregnant wife as they drove home from birthing class at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. The aggressive and highly questionable manner in which the cops rousted countless numbers of residents of the area set race relations in the city back years upon years.” Page 4
MYCHALLENGERNEWS.COM
MAY 19, 2010
HEALTH MATTERS
Herbs For Kidney Cleanse Clean, support and detoxify your kidneys with all natural herbs. As you cleanse and support good kidney and urinary health you will also expel toxins and wastes from your kidneys. -Why Nourish, Cleanse, and Support the Kidneys?When you care for the kidneys you essentially help your body function. Your kidneys have many important jobs to do: *Elimination of metabolic wastes *Blood pressure regulation *Stimulate red cell production *Vitamin D Activation *Balance acid by excreting alkaline salts Fluid and electrolyte balance *Excrete Urine and regulate waste *Hormone Balance When you eat foods that stress out the kidneys, you also effect your body’s balance. This causes diseases, such as diabetes, and kidney disease. So limit your intake of refined white sugar, and eat good fats. You can’t afford to damage your kidneys. You want to nourish them so they can help your body eliminate waste. The best thing is to avoid sugar refined carbs, greasy fats, and make better food choices. Also drink lots of water, and occasionally do a kidney cleanse. This will help your body have the raw materials available to produce the hormones it needs to keep you healthy. -Herbs For Kidney Cleanse - *Couch grass: a diuretic and the mucilage helps soothe an inflamed and irritated urinary tract. It also helps heal the urinary tract.Couch grass increases the amount of urine by the osmotic process. It has some active constituents with an antibiotic effect, and can be used in gout and rheumatism. * Uva Ursi (Bearberry): a urinary antiseptic, and an astringent herb. It has an antibacterial effect on the kidney, that is effective against e. coli, proteus, klebsiella, staphyloc-
MAY 19, 2010
cocus, and pseudomonas. The antibacterial effect is at its strongest 3 to 4 hours after taking the herb, as some of the active constituents are converted in the kidneys to activate the antiseptic effect.Uva ursi is used in cystitis, urethritis, prostatitis and dysuria. But it is not to be used in kidney diseases, or if the infection has progressed up the urinary tract. *Horsetail: high in silica, and is used as an astringent in the genitourinary tract. It is also a diuretic. It has been found to reduce the levels of lead in the body, and there is “evidence of an anti-rheumatic effect and a positive effect on lipid [fat] metabolism”. The increased volume of urine helps flush out irritants and infectious agents. The astringent action may help with bladder tone and the reduction of prostate enlargement. The high levels of silica help with tissue repair. Horsetail is used in cystitis, prostatitis, prostatic enlargement, incontinence, edema with menopause or arthritis, and urethritis. It helps prevent damage to the ureters, bladder, and urethra, and the prostate. * Parsley: an excellent diuretic and as such it is used for edema and urinary stones. It is believed to increase the elimination of waste products , and thus used for gout and arthritis. Parsley should not be used in pregnancy, nor is it recommended in painful menstrual periods. It is fine for nursing mothers, however, and is believed to encourage milk production. Fresh parsley is very nutritious. *Nettle: Highly nutritious, with vitamins and minerals including chlorophyll and beta carotene, vitamins A, B2, C and E, calcium, potassium, and iron. Nettle has been proven to increase the elimination of the waste product, uric acid. It is a diuretic, and has an antibacterial effect, and found to be effective against staphylococci and other bacteria. It is useful in arthritis and rheumatic problems because it helps get rid of metabolic Continued Page 6
MY C H A LLE N GE R N E W S .C OM
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Grassroots, Inc. Celebrates 25th Anniversary: Rev. Darius Pridgen to Keynote Annual Awards Dinner Grassroots, Inc. will celebrate 25 years of history at its highly anticipated Annual Dinner, entitled “Upholding the Legacy” on Saturday, May 22 at the New Golden Nugget, located at 2046 Fillmore Avenue. Tickets are $50 and include a Champagne Reception from 6 to7p.m., dinner, door prizes and a keynote address. A celebration of community efforts, leaders and visionaries remains the focus of the dinner. Rev. Darius Pridgen, Senior Pastor of True Bethel Baptist Church will deliver the keynote address. “Within the last year we have seen a change in national leadership with our President, Barack Obama and Grassroots has been a part of that movement for change for decades. As the catalysts in our communities; there is a legacy to uphold, one that is focused on community building, educating our youth and focusing on the future. The dinner gives us the chance to showcase the talent and gems of Buffalo, who are leaders in their day-to-day efforts and local communities,” stated Janique Curry, current dinner co-chair of Grassroots. Grassroots, Inc. is a local progressive political organization, founded in 1985, whose primary purpose is to bring about positive change in Buffalo’s inner city community. This organization is composed of residents of all ages and walks of life, who have united to resolve the problems threatening their community. In addition, the legacies of Grassroots, Inc. include members such as Mayor Byron W. Brown, Assemblywoman Crystal D. Peoples-Stokes, Senator Antoine M. Thompson, Erie County Chairwoman Barbara Miller-Williams and Masten District Councilman Demone A. Smith with many other present and past elected officials that represent state, city and county levels of government. Nominations for the awards were submitted by various individuals and organizations. The awards include the Rising Star Award, the Cora P. Maloney Award for Community Service, the Outstanding Business Award, the Herbert S. Bellamy Outstanding Community Organization Award, and the Charles Perkins/Margaret Strasner Activism award. The recipients of these awards will be announced at the event. The dinner committee would like to thank the local organizations and Page 6
businesses who have supported the dinner through journal ads and table sponsorships. For more information or tickets; please contact 716.308.6856 or grassrootsofbuffalo@gmail.com.
bidS
TO SPEAK: Rev. Pridgen to keynote Grassroots’ 25th Anniversary Celebration.
HERBS FOR KINDEYS continued
wastes. It is also used in chronic cystitis. Herbs For Kidney Cleanse - Corn Silk Corn silk has a lot of vitamin K and potassium. It is used for acute or chronic inflammation of the urinary tract, cystitis, prostatitis, night time urination, and urethritis. Corn silk is not a well studied herb, but it is a diuretic. In China, it is used for edema. It also has antiseptic properties, and is soothing to the urinary tract. Other Beneficial Herbs include: Buchu Sarsaparilla Root Hydrangea Root Ginger Root Barberry Chinese Medicine herbs He-shou-wu and Wu-wei-zi Fenugreek Watermelon seed tea is recommended for kidney stones. It was also suggested to simulate underactive kidneys Learn the Symptoms of Kidney Disease Early stages of kidney disease are hard to detect because there are often no symptoms. As the disease progresses kidney functioning deteriorates and can lead to any of the following problems. Nauseousness and vomiting Body Itchiness Water retention causing swollen face, hands or feet Cramping of muscles Decreased amounts of urine Dark and roamy looking urine Pain in the leg flanks, High blood pressure and Loss of appetite. .
bidS COUNTY OF ERIE 95 FRANKLIN STREET DEP’T OF ENVIRONMENT & PLANNING BUFFALO, NY 14202 Erie County Department of Environment and Planning, 95 Franklin Stret, Buffalo, NY 14202 Request for Proposal (RFP) for Preparation of Training and Presentation Materials Concerning Innovative Community Zoning Techniques The Erie County Department of Environment and Planning is accepting proposals from consultants to provide presentation materials concerning innovative community zoning techniques. The County will use federal Community Development Block Grant funds provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for this program. The RFP# {10146BC} can be found at www.erie.gov or can be obtained by contacting Tracey McNerney, Contract Monitor, Erie County Department of Environment and Planning, 95 Franklin St, Room 1066, Buffalo, NY 14202, (716) 858-8241. Proposals are due on June 18, 2010. MYCHALLENGERNEWS.COM
NOTICE TO BIDDERS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that sealed proposals for the Erie County Sewer District No. 3, Contract No. 23, Pinecrest Terrace/Valley Circle Lane Sanitary Sewer Replacement/Boston State Road Extension will be received by the Commissioner of the Erie County Department of Environment and Planning on Wednesday, June 9, 2010 until 3:00 P.M., local time, at 95 Franklin Street, Room 1034, Buffalo, New York, 14202, at which time they will be publicly opened and read aloud in Room 1004. The contract is located in the Pinecrest Terrace and Valley Circle Lane neighborhoods of the Town of Boston, New York and includes replacement or rehabilitation of approximately 10,000 linear feet of existing sanitary sewer pipe and related manholes. Bidders are advised that a pre-bid meeting for the construction of this project is scheduled for Wednesday, June 2, 2010 at 10:00 A.M., Room 1004, 95 Franklin Street, Buffalo, New York. Plans are on file and may be examined and purchased at the office of the Erie County Department of Environment and Planning, 10th Floor, 95 Franklin Street, Buffalo, New York 14202. Related information and a listing of prospective bidders can be found in Business Center, “Construction Bids and Engineering Proposals: on the Erie County Web Page @ WWW.ERIE.GOV The deposit for each set of contract documents shall be $100.00 in the form of two checks or money orders, each in the amount of one-half the deposit, and made payable to the Erie County Comptroller. Any bidder requesting a set of plans and specifications mailed to their office must arrange for a pre-paid delivery service or mail carrier. The envelope containing the bid must be sealed, addressed to the Erie County Commissioner of Environment and Planning and must be clearly and correctly designated as “Erie County Sewer District No. 3, Contract No. 23, Pinecrest Terrace/Valley Circle Lane Sanitary Sewer Replacement/Boston State Road Extension”. Any envelope containing more than one bid will be considered an improper bid and not opened. Any bids not delivered in person shall be mailed to the Erie County Commissioner of Environment and Planning, 95 Franklin Street, Room 1034, Buffalo, New York 14202, and received prior to the time set for the bid opening. Any bidder returning such plans and specifications in good condition within thirty (30) days following the award of the contract or the rejection of bids will be refunded the full amount of the deposit. Non-bidders will be refunded one-half the deposit. Any bidder requesting more than one (1) set of plans and specifications may purchase the excess, but it is understood that they are not returnable. No refund will be made for documents returned after the thirty-day period. Erie County Sewer District No. 3 is an exempt organization under the Tax Law, and is exempt from payment of Sales and Compensating Use Taxes which are to be incorporated into the project and which are to be separately sold by the Contractors to the Owner prior to incorporation into the project, pursuant to the provisions of the contract. These taxes are not to be included in the bid. Sales tax will be due on all materials purchased by a Contractor which are either “consumable” or rental property used by the Contractor in connection with the construction or repair. Each proposal must be accompanied by a certified check payable to the Erie County Comptroller or by a bid bond having a surety thereon from a surety company acceptable to the County Attorney, in an amount not less than five percent (5%) of the total base bid, as surety for execution of the contract. The successful bidder will be required to furnish Payment and Performance Bond, each in an amount equal to 100 percent of the contract award. Attention of the bidder is called particularly to requirements with respect to conditions of employment to be observed, minimum wages rates to be paid under the contract, Affirmative Action requirements for Equal Employment Opportunity, along with the Minority Business Enterprise Utilization Commitment. Bidders are also advised that Part “A” of the Erie county Minority Business Enterprise/Women’s Business Enterprise Utilization Report be submitted with the bid or no later than three (3) business days after the bid opening. The attention of the bidder is called to the provisions of Article 5A of the General Municipal Law which requires the bidder to execute a certificate of non-collusion and to conform with the other provisions of Article 5A outlined in the specifications. A form for such certificate accompanies the bid form. Unless it is property executed, the bid will not be accepted. The right to reject any and all bids, to waive any informalities in, or to make any award to other than the low bidder, should it be deemed to be in the best interest of Erie County Sewer District No. 3 and in accordance with Law, are herewith reserved. No bidder may withdraw his bid within 45 days after the date set for the opening thereof, but may withdraw same anytime prior to the scheduled time for opening bids. BY ORDER OF: Michael J. Quinn, P.E. Deputy Commissioner Department of Environment and Planning Dated: May 12, 2010 Published: May 20, 2010 MAY 19, 2010
Jene’ah McBride Accepted to Attend National Youth Leadership Forum in Washington, D.C. Jene’ah McBride, a junior at Holy Angels Academy, age 16 and a proud alumni of Westminster Community Charter School, has been nominated and accepted to attend the National Youth Leadership Forum on Law and Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) to be held this summer July 6-11, 2010 in Washington, D.C. Having met the Forum’s high academic standards, she has been deemed an academic scholar. A member of First Calvary Missionary Baptist Church, she is active in the audio-visual, youth group ministry, and praise dance ministry. Jene’ah also attends the Buffalo Science Technology Entry Program (STEP) at the University of Buffalo (UB) which Jene’ah McBride focuses on math, science (biological), and computer enhancement, and education. While attending this prestigious event, she will meet and interact with over 300 other scholar students from all over the nation. She will be involved in a mock trial, forensics simulation, training workshops, and site explorations. She will take part in a legal case prepared by one of the nations most renowned pathologists. After reviewing the case, scholars will take on roles of prosecutors and defense attorneys, and question the pathologist as an expert witness. By attending the forum, Jene’ah can also receive college credit through George Mason University. She is the daughter of Glenn and Linda McBride, granddaughter of James and Essie McBride and the late Bynum and Elizabeth Harris, sister of Antwan all of Buffalo, N.Y. and Glenn Jr. of San Diego, CA. Congratulations Jene’ah!
Mrs. Linda Seay and Mrs. Mary Alice Brown with Scholarship participants.
Sorority Sponsors Formal Scholarship Pageant Twelve junior and senior students from local high schools, currently enrolled in the Leadership Intern Development Project for Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Xi Epsilon Omega, were introduced at a formal scholarship pageant Sunday May 2 at the Marriott Hotel. Scholarships and Awards were given to the students. Participation in the ten month program included the student’s engagement in various leadership training workshops and activities conducted by community leaders and chapter members including; college preparation, communication skills (public speaking, essay writing, and formal debate) parliamentary procedures, community service, heritage, human relations, financial planning/ investments, a career fair, internet security and talent refinement. Highlighting the project was a three-day educational tour in which the students and chaperones traveled to the Washington, DC, and Baltimore, MD area where they visited five colleges, the BET headquarters and The White House. The 2009 – 2010 enrolled students are: Ondrea Barker, Hutchinson Technical High School; Jacqueline Bobo, Buffalo Seminary; Nigel Clark, Buffalo Visual and Performing Arts; Brandi Fields, ECC Middle College School; Stephan Harrison, East High School; Lauren Jackson, Hutchinson Technical High School; Jabril Rashed, City Honors School, and Bianaca Smith and Michael Smith, Williamsville North High School. Mrs. Mary Alice Brown is a Project chairman and Mrs. Linda Seay is chapter President. MAY 19, 2010
Mayor Summer Youth Job Application Deadline May 31! Youth interested in applying for Summer Jobs can download an application at www.city-buffalo.com or pick one up at Buffalo City Hall in room 1701. All Mayor’s Summer
Youth Applications must be returned you must turn age 14 by May 31, by Friday, May 28, 2010. 2010. To be eligible for this program you If you have any questions regardmust be a City of Buffalo resident ing the application, please contact us between the ages of 14 and 21 and at (716) 851-5627. Õvv> Ê > i }iÀÊ Ê{»ÊÜ `iÊÝÊ »Ê } Ê Ê 7
Hamlin Park Offers Scholarships The Hamlin Park Community & Taxpayers’ Association, Inc. will offer scholarships to Hamlin Park residents who are high school seniors or college students. The scholarship commemorates the community spirit of the Association’s first president, the late Charles T. Perkins. To be eligible for a scholarship, applicants must meet the requirements of residency, academic excellence, and volunteer service in the Hamlin Park community. The deadline for applications is June 14, 2010. Applications are available at the Frank E. Merriweather Branch Library, by telephoning 885-1236 or writing to dellbetha@yahoo.com .
School 87 Membership Drive/Kickoff & Annual Picnic The School 87/CJHS Alumni Committee will kick off its 2010 Membership Drive at the Pratt Willert Center, 422 Pratt St. on May 20 at 7:30 p.m. Refreshments will be served. Alumni and friends will have an opportunity to plan events, work on various committees and give back to the community. The Annual Reunion Picnic will take place at MLK Park on Saturday, June 26 from 1 to 7 p.m. All are welcome to attend. To RSV or for more information call 854-4032, 838-1628 or 832-5007.
M^[d h[WZ_d] _i W ijhk]]b[" ie _i b_\[$ How does low-literacy feel? Often, it’s confusing, especially when it comes to everyday tasks that most take for granted. But the Buffalo Public Schools Adult Education Division is doing something about this. We’ve been helping Western New York residents improve their levels of literacy for years, and we can help you or your loved one, too. With the ability to succeed on a daily basis comes the ability to succeed for a lifetime.
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Grammy Award Winning Artist Kim Burrell Will Highlight this Year’s Gospel Fest! National recording artist and Grammy award winning singer Kim Burrell, who fascinated the world with a live performance on the BET awards ceremony when she came out to sing and to pay special tribute and to honor singing legend Whitney Houston, is scheduled to perform with WNY’s RISE UP Recording Choir.at this year’s Gospel Fest 2010 in Martin Luther King Jr. Park Saturday, July 24 from 2-9 p.m. There will also be various choirs, groups and dance ministries. Admission is free. Primarily known as a Gospel Jazz Artist, Kim Burrell could be considered one of the hardest working vocalists in her industry with more than 180 performances in one year. For Ms. Burrell, this represented many new platforms for her career not only as an incomparable vocalist, but as an entertainer whose brand value is swiftly moving to the center of pop culture. \ On February 1st, BET Networks aired it’s 2010 BET Honors program. Among several honorees such as Queen Latifah and Sean P. Diddy Combs, Whitney Houston received a special tribute performance by Ms. Burrell. Her
Kim Burrell
introduction, made by Superstar Neo, stated that Whitney considers Burrell’s voice to be the greatest on the planet. While her vocal performance was insatiable, her uncanny personality and her new look wow’ed the entire audience Gospel Fest is sponsored by: M&T Bank, Senator Antoine Thompson, Assemblywoman Crystal Peoples, Brian K. Lewis funeral Home, Wegman’s Food, ECMC Hospital, Legislator Betty Jean Grant, Legislator Barbara Williams, Buffalo Urban League, UNYTS & more. Bessie Patterson is Coordinator.
4th Anniversary for Pastor Swain The 4th Pastoral Anniversary celebration for Pastor Rosetta Swain was held at Enter In Ministries FGBC, 1761 Genesee held last Sunday May 16 with First Centennial Baptist Church and Pastor Alan Core. Congratulations Pastor Swain!
WORSHIP THIS WEEK
Susan and Friends in Concert Susan and Friends will be in Concert at Pentecostal Temple, 618 Jefferson Avenue, on Sunday, May 23 at 4 p.m. Special guests include Anointed Praise, the Bible Tones, New Kings of Harmony, the Men in White Choir, Delivered, Favaa and Princess Dorothy Williams. There will be a special tribute to Rev. and Mrs. George N. Green by Sis. Jackie Blackman. Pastor Mingo will be the guest MC. Sup. Matthew L. Brown is host pastor. For more information call (716) 807-7212. Page 8
MYCHALLENGERNEWS.COM
MAY 19, 2010
“Buffalo Has the Plan!” Rev. Michael Chapman, in an community partners. April 16 interview with Business The article also quoted such First Newspaper, continued to defend impressive supporters as Robert his vision of implementing a $500 Gioia, president of the John R. Oishei million Fruit Belt and East Side Foundation, who called the proposal Development Project. “aggressive” but “doable.” He stood firm on the promise that David Rutecki, administrative vice the 340 residents of McCarley Gar- president in government banking at dens housing complex – which is M&T, said the banks interest is fueled scheduled to be sold for $15 million by the “level of competence” not seen to propel the $500 million project in other projects. – will be taken care of and moved Rev. Chapman also disclosed in the to even better quality housing just article, that the community plan will blocks from the current site. Church move ahead– regardless of whether leaders, he said have been working or not the state Legislature passes the on that plan for years before the UB UB 2020 legislation to help the col2020 project lege with even entered “This is the most compre- its buildthe picture. ing plans “The stra- hensive collaborative Faith - even if tegic plan Base Initiative for an urban it has to for the city economic development project be modidoes not call fied. for ‘project’ in the nation....” L a s t living” he week the told BusiSt. John ness First. “Residents have said we Fruit Belt Community Development cannot duplicate that complex and Corporation released the following they’re right. But we can give them statement/update on the Fruit Belt/ a better quality of living.” East Side Development Project: Rev. Chapman also made these “St. John Fruit Belt Community points: Development Corporation along with *St. John has the track record for over 75 collaborative partners will the larger $500 million plan, having help create sustainable employment completed several multimillion-dol- opportunities and inner-city housing lar projects in the past 10 years. development. This is a $500 mil*The project has a solid list of lion comprehensive collaborative
A CIVIL WAR DAY OF REMEMBRANCE
Sunday May 30, 2010 Supporters sport “We Have The Plan” T-Shirts.
urban development project; including entrepreneur and job training for young adults 21-35 years old. “The first phase has been completed with the formation of St. John Baptist Realty Group, which will acquire and renovate vacant homes in the neighborhood. Young adults who have completed the job training program will renovate the properties to be rented or sold. An empty warehouse on High Street and Jefferson Avenue will house the project’s corporate offices, entrepreneurial and business training facility as well as the churches boxing team. Construction should begin in the fall with an opening next spring.
“St. John Baptist Church has a strong 83 year history in the community and extensive real estate holdings which represents $45 million in development. Along with the 38 ministries of the church there are also the following corporations: SJB Business Corporation, S.J. Community Development Corporation, St. John Fruit Belt Community Development Corporation, Virginia-Michigan Housing Development Corporation, Oak-Michigan Housing Development Corporation, St. John Baptist Realty Group, Blessed of the Lord Ministries, St. John Christian Academy, Aloma D. Johnson FBCCS, Rev. Dr. Bennett W. Smith Sr. Family Life Center, and the St. John Buffalo Hospice. “This plan will foster many community benefits such as: Economic growth opportunities; the creation of jobs for residents; creation of entrepreneurial opportunities; a gateway into the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus; Enhancment of commercial development; housing re-development - increase in Fruit Belt density; education; health care services; recreational services; improved infrastructure; and an impact on the quality of life and an effect on positive change in the community. “This is the most comprehensive collaborative Faith Base Initiative for an urban economic development project in the nation; it will become
a model for economic development throughout the country.”
MAY 19, 2010
Muster in the Meadow
MY C H A LLE N GE R N E W S .C OM
12:00 P.M. - 6:00 P.M. Don’t miss the Opening Ceremonies, which start promptly at noon, and include proclamations and special guests, followed by cannon-shot start to the parade, which features fife and drum corps, Native American dancers, re-enactors and more.
Also scheduled:
• Special Dedications and Tributes • Civil War Union and Confederate encampments • Signal Corps demonstrations • Historic displays and more Free parking. Food available.
An outing for the entire family! Plan now to attend this unprecedented, multicultural, Civil War Day featuring hundreds of re-enactors in Forest Lawn Cemetery!
It’s a day-long program open to the public without charge.
Sunday in the Cemetery Tours start June 6th!
Forest Lawn Cemetery 1411 Delaware Avenue Buffalo, NY 14209 716-885-1600 www.forest-lawn.com
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* “It Ain’t Nothin’ But the Blues” on stage at the Paul Robeson Theatre at the African Cultural Center, 350 Masten Avenue, now thru Sunday, May 30, 8 p.m.; admission $23.50, $19.50 for seniors and students; ages 3-12 $13.50; 884-2013. *Live Piano Jazz: Free every Friday from 6-9 PM. Ms. Diana M. Reeves on vocals and keyboards. Mr. Larry Henderson on drums. Hot Stuff Southern Cafe’, 829 Main St., NF, NY 14301. 716.282.7883. www.hotstuffsoutherncafe.com *Thursday Night Comedy: The New Golden Nugget, 2046 Fillmore Ave. 8 p.m.; tickets $15.
ON STAGE *The Exonerated by Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen directed by Lorna C. Hill May 21 – June 13, on stage at TheaterLoft, 545 Elmwood Ave., Thurs., Fri., Sat. @ 8pm • Sun. @ 6pm • $25 general • $20 seniors • $15 students Reservations call Box Office 883-0380 • Subscriptions & Group rates call Administration 8834232 ujimacoinc@mac.com • www. ujimatheatre.org Purchase Tickets Online at: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/112087 *“ABAFANA” Presents “Music From a Little village by the Seaside” South Africa featuring Emile Latimer, Sechaba Molefe & Gaga at the Gateway Gallery, 14 1 Elmwood (near Allen), $10 at the door, Friday, May 21 at 8 p.m. sharp. *Father’s Day Musical Explosion featuring Blue Magic, Ronnie Laws, Buffalo’s own Untouchables, Dee Paris, Will Holton, Allen Carrier, Saturday, June 19 The Tralf, for 2 shows @ 7 & 10:30 p.m. Tickets $39 & $44 available at The big 6 Musicians Club, Doris Records and all Ticket Master Locations. A Godfather Promotion.
Nubiessence (Jazz) at the Humboldt Inn on Wednesday May 19 from 7 to 10 p.m. experience Nubiessence (Jazz) at the New Humboldt Inn, 497 Humboldt Parkway featuring the original poetry of Brother Taharka backed by Al Ferguson on keyboards, Bilal Abdullah on sax, Ruseau Taylor on guitar and Allasane Sarr on congas. There will be a special tribute in honor of the birth of Malcolm X (El Hadj Malik Shabazz). Advance sale tickets $5. For more information call (716) 715-3727 or email at odingat@aol.com.
*Maxwell with special guest Melanie Fiona, July 12, HSBC Arena, tickets at the Arena box office, all Tickest.com outlets or charge by phone.
On Stage Listings are Free. Write: The Challenger, On Stage, PO Box 474,, Bflo., NY 14208; or email:
editor@thechallengernews.com
*The Jazz Example with Larry Owens on drums; Greg Piontek on bass; Trigger Gaston on Piano, Bilal Abdullah on Sax; featuring vocalist Lady Lita;9PM,Each Friday at The Anchor Bar. *Open Mic & Jam Session every Friday and Saturday New Musician’s Big “6” Club, 600 East North @ Fox; 896-6660.
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MYCHALLENGERNEWS.COM
MAY 19, 2010
Alpha Phi Alpha To Host an Evening of Jazz Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. will present An Evening of Jazz with the Soul Surreal Band on Friday May 28 at 7 p.m. at the 2nd Cup Cafe located at 36 Broadway St. Tickets are $10. Call 316-2411 or 536-6003 for tickets or for more information.
THE UNTOUCHABLES
L-R: WILL HOLTON, DEE PARKS, ALLEN CARRIER
Local Talent Showcased on Father’s Day R&B, Jazz Musical Explosion! This Father’s Day weekend local talent will join headliners Blue Magic and Ronnie Laws in what has been billed as a “Pre-Father’s Day R&B and Jazz Musical Explosion” on Saturday, June 19 at the Tralf for two exciting shows at 7 and 10:30 p.m. True to past Godfather Promotions presentations, Buffalo’s own “stars” are showcased to the delight of the audience: the Untouchables, backed by the Brethren Band, singing sensation Dee Parks, Allen Carrier and special guest saxophonist Will Holton round out an exciting ticket. “Its an opportunity for the ladies to give the man of their life a gift for Father’s Day they both can enjoy,” said Godfather’s CEO Dane Smith. “It’s a show you won’t want to miss!” Tickets are $39 in advance and $44 the day of the show and can be purchased at The Big 6 Musicians Club located on E. North Corner of Fox, Doris Records, The Tralf Box Office and all Ticket Master Locations.
Support Our Advertisers! MAY 19, 2010
MY C H A LLE N GE R N E W S .C OM
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“The Musical of Shadow of the Lynching Tree: All Musicals” Award Winning film Explores The Gospel Choir of Friendship Effects of Lynching on Missionary Baptist Church will presAmerican Culture ent “The Musical of all Musicals” on Saturday, May 22 at 6 p.m. at the church, 402 Clinton Street. The event will feature the Choirs of Friendship, the Charles Billups Ensemble, LaVern Durham & Dominion, Durham Memorial, and more. For more information call 847-1020. Rev. Daris Dixon-Clark is pastor.
Critically acclaimed filmmaker Carvin H. Eison, formerly of Rochester, N.Y., will present his award winning documentary film, Shadows of the Lynching Tree on Wednesday, May 26 from Carvin Eison 7 to 9:30 p.m. at the Market Arcade Film and Art Center, 639 Main Street. Admission is $9 for adults and $7 f or children. Shadows of the Lynching Tree explores the lingering effects of lynching on American culture. It discusses the horrific abuse of Black men and women by using one of the most terrible and tragic forms of racial intimidation. The topic is showcased with disturbing imagery and impressive artistry. The story centers on a brief encounter between two boys, both named Jesse, one Black and the other White. Following a 1916 incident in Waco, Texas, Jesse Washington, the 17-year-old Black youth, was summarily tried and lynched. The second Jesse, a 10-year-old White boy from James Baldwin’s short story, Going to Meet The Man, is taken by his father to witness the lynching. On that day more than 15,000 Waco citizens closed their shops, abandoned their farms, and brought their families to take pleasure in the torture and killing of young Jesse Washington. During the late 19th and much of the 20th century, countless numbers of African Americans were murdered at the end of a rope. In the age of Obama, have we reconciled this misshapen history or does its legacy live on? “‘Let sleeping dogs lie’ is a way of saying leave something alone, it may cause problems,” states Eison. “ Shadows of the Lynching Tree kicks the sleeping dog and awakens a troublesome past. The dog is awake now. Will we finally confront the beast or does it return to uneasy slumber?”
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JUNE 19 & 20 MLK PARK JUNETEENTH 2010 SAVE THE DATES June 12-18: Sankofa Days June 19, 20: Parade, Vendors and other MLK Park Festivities THE 2010 JUNETEENTH FESTIVAL OF BUFFALO Juneteenth is a celebration of Freedom, Heritage and Humanity. During the festival we acknowledge the awesome strength of the enslaved Africans who endured, persevered and helped to reshape the nations' economic, artistic and political landscape. On Juneteenth we take time as a nation to appreciate and honor African and African American heritage, tradition, and progress. "If we stand tall it is because we stand on the shoulders of those who came before us." We have come a mighty long way! FESTIVITIES INCLUDE: Entertainment stage, Arts and Culture stage, Vendor’s Market, Food Court, Health Pavilion, Family Portrait Booth, Drill team exhibitions, Book Fair, Historical exhibits, Reenacting historical events in history, Children’s Activities, Underground Railroad Tours and more! Come and enjoy a fun-filled weekend for the entire family! The Juneteenth Festival of Buffalo, NY is the third largest in the country. Its mission is to “actively preserve and promote the broad spectrum of African American heritage through educational and cultural activities that will benefit the community as a whole.”
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 412 Ellicott Station Buffalo, New York 14205 www.juneteenthofbuffalo.com Headquarters: 1517 Genesee St. Bflo, NY 14211 Telephone: 716-891-8801
Vendor Applications
Juneteenth Festival, Inc. is now accepting applications for Juneteenth 2010 (June 19and 20). Please register by mail before May 1. Please note that we will not be responsible for applications mailed or left any place other than our P.O. Box. PLEASE DO NOT MAIL APPLICATIONS TO OUR HEADQUARTERS!Late fees charged after May 1, 2010. No refunds will be issued for applications received after May 1, 2010. Applications received after May 13 may be accepted at the sole discretion of Juneteenth Festival, Inc. Juneteenth Festival, Inc. retains exclusive rights to the sale of snocones and french fries. For an application or more information go to www.juneteenthofbuffalo.com or call 891-8801.
Parade Participant Notification The Juneteenth of Buffalo Parade Committee requests that all Drill and Step Teams, participating in this years parade, submit applications no later than May 25, 2010.
Juneteenth Float Competition Announced There will be a float competition in this year’s Juneteenth Parade. All interested parties can call 891-8801
Mandatory Parade Meetings May 27 & June 10 The Juneteenth Parade Committee is having two mandatory meetings for the leaders of all groups participating in this year’s parade. All organizational leaders, motorcycle club leaders, and drill team leaders must attend. The meetings will be held on May 27th and June 10th at 6:00pm sharp. Both meetings will be held at the Frank E. Meriweather Public Library, 1324 Jefferson Avenue
MAY 19, 2010
24-Year-Old Beauty is First Arab American, Muslim, Crowned Miss USA
Arab Americans across metro Detroit cheered as Rima Fakih of Dearborn was crowned Miss USA Sunday tonight in Las Vegas â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is unbelievable,â&#x20AC;? said Rami Haddad, 26 of Livonia, one of Fakihâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biggest supporters. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a dream come true. I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t express my feelings.â&#x20AC;? Fakih, of Lebanese descent, is believed to be the first Arab American and Muslim to become Miss USA. She is also the first Michigander to be Miss USA since 1993. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is great news for Michigan,â&#x20AC;? said Haddad. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have beauty here. We have talent.â&#x20AC;? Haddad said Fakihâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s win can help motivate Michiganders to dream big. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This will motivate us,â&#x20AC;? Haddad said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;She was so determined.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is historic,â&#x20AC;? Imad Hamad, regional director of the AmericanArab Anti-Discrimination Committee, said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This shows the greatness of America, how everyone can have a chance to make it.â&#x20AC;? Supporters are gathering at La Pita in Dearborn for a party to celebrate Fakihâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s win. The contestants took the stage tonight at Las Vegasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino to compete for the crown and the opportunity for a place in the Miss Universe pageant. The 24-year-old brunette from Michigan beat out four blondes and 46 other women for the 2010 Miss USA title after nearly stumbling in her evening gown. Fakih won the pageant Sunday night after swimsuit, evening gown and interview competitions. During the competition, Fakih nearly fell while finishing her walk in a long, strapless gown because of the length of its train, but she recovered without a spill and went on to win. In the interview, Fakih was asked whether she thought birth control should be paid for by health insurance, and she said she believed it should. Miss Oklahoma USA Morgan Elizabeth Woolard was first runner-up after handling a question about Arizonaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new immigration law. She said she supports it. This year, the pageant was aired live on NBC. The television network owns the pageant in a joint venture with Donald Trump. The competition, which is not affiliated with the Miss America pageant, was hosted by celebrity chef Curtis Stone and NBC correspondent Natalie Morales, with commentary by comedian Joan Rivers and her daughter Melissa.
Author returns to WNY for Book Signing and Panel Discussion James Scott, a Tampa, Florida area resident returns to Buffalo to introduce his new book titled INTAKE, written about his 2005 experiences inside the troubled and controversial Erie County Holding Center and Alden Correctional facility.â&#x20AC;¨ â&#x20AC;¨Scott, a 1987 graduate of Grand Island High School, is currently a building and trades contractor in Tampa, Florida. He wrote INTAKE during a six month stint at the facility in 2005. â&#x20AC;¨INTAKE details the psychological and physical abuse that occurs "within the walls" of the two correctional facilities, which are now under a federal probe.â&#x20AC;¨ â&#x20AC;¨ â&#x20AC;¨ Scott, whose family ran the Kensington Place restaurant for over twenty years on the East Side of the city, will showcase his book and take questions along with a distinguished panel at the Second Cup Cafe, 36 Broadway, Downtown Buffalo on Monday, May 24 beginning at 5:30 p.m. To order INTAKE, go www.publishamerica.com (search:INTAKE).â&#x20AC;¨ â&#x20AC;¨The event is free and open to the public. For more information please feel free to email jps1_69@hotmail.com or call Jeri Walters, publicist, at (727) 5344264. MAY 19, 2010
HSBC Awards $100,000 Grant To Improve Martin Luther King, Jr. Park Neighborhood HSBC Bank USA, N.A. (HSBC) has awarded $50,000 to the Community Action Organization of Erie County, Inc. (CAO) and $50,000 to the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy to further the work of the Better Schools Better Neighborhoods Collaborative. The Collaborative is a demonstration project that seeks revitalize the Martin Luther King, Jr. neighborhood on Buffaloâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s east side into a great place to live, work, play and raise a family, while also achieving a comprehensive, integrated model for community development that can be replicated in other parts of the city and region in hopes of transforming distressed urban neighborhoods. The Collaborative is the result of a partnership among the Community Action Organization of Erie County, Olmsted Parks Conservancy, Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority, UB Center for Urban Studies, King Urban Life Center, Fillmore Avenue Business Association, Martin Luther King, Jr. Block Club and the City of Buffalo. The funds donated by HSBC will support improvement efforts between Parade and Urban Streets and between Josephine and Marshall and the Route 33 Expressway.
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summitfcu.org | 800-836-SFCU (7328)
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Black Genocide in Buffalo ... I woke up this past Sunday morning to the reality that the night before; A man had been shot during a robbery on Stevens Street near East Ferry;
another man was shot during a robbery at Cornwall Ave. near East Ferry Street; and a third man had been stabbed during a robbery attempt on Jefferson Ave near East Ferry Street! That made it three separate incidents near or around East Ferry Street in one night! Fortunately, none of these were life threatening injuries but the fact remains that all of these men were attacked and their lives were put at risk. It is not even summer yet so we can assume the violence will only get worse. Another thing I am noticing is that very few of us seem to become upset when a young man or woman loses their life to violence if these individuals are engaging in some sort of criminal behavior when they are murdered. That is BETTY JEAN in itself a dangerous position to take because it desensitizes GRANT us from feeling any compassion if we think or judge that the victim somehow deserves his fate because of his actions or lifestyle. Let me be clear on one issue: I do not support the sale of illegal drugs or the robbing and muggings that are taking place on our streets and in our homes by these violent and dangerous thugs who are our neighbors, our friends and in many instances, our own kids. We need to condemn violent behavior whenever and wherever it rears its ugly head. Mothers, fathers and grandparents need to put their collective ‘foot down’ and start running their homes and ruling their children. No child, regardless of how old he or she is, if they are living in his parent or grandparent’s house, should not have that parent or grandparent living in fear of them. But sadly, that is the case in many households in our neighborhoods. How do I know this? I know because they call my office for assistance in getting these individuals evicted from their houses. Many of these parents or family members do not take my advice to call the police because they do not want their child or grandchild to be arrested. In these cases, I refer them to Erie County Adult Protection Agency and Legal Services for the Elderly but I also remind them that it is their house and they are the authority in it, not the child. I tell them that until they develop the courage to rule their house, that child or grandchild will not honor or respect that authority. We, as a community, need to address the serious issues of Black on Black homicides, robberies, muggings, home invasions, drug addiction and other crimes and social issues that are destroying us as an ethnic group. We need to have parents parent their children as they have done in past generations. No parent or grandparent in Buffalo should be living in fear in their home due to the fact that a grandchild has moved in, uninvited or a grown child refuses to leave after being requested to do so. Parents have to start being parents and not try to be their children’s friends. Maybe when these so-called parents stop smoking dope and engaging in other immoral behavior around their children, they might be able to gain or regain their respect. Several decades ago, we could correctly blame racism, the Ku Klux Klan and Jim Crow for the ills that kept our people from life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Even though racism and those other entities still exist, we can largely blame ourselves for the violence that is done to us by us. And please, spare me from the notion that the lack of job opportunities and high unemployment among our young people are to blame for our condition. I agree that they do play a large part but we don’t have to destroy our community and ourselves to prove that point. High unemployment and job discrimination have always been a part of the landscape of the United States of America’s wrongs that have been done to us. But unlike now, those realities were not used to justify criminal behavior or used as an excuse to not try. Today, too many parents are failing to raise their children to be law abiding, respectful, educated and self supporting individuals. Prisons, built in rural areas to provide jobs and opportunities for those residents, are being populated with our urban youths. Illegal drugs are being shipped to large cities with a huge Black population to entice our young men to make that, quick but potentially deadly, dollar. The War on Drugs was never a war; it was just a political diversion to allow us to feel good while, at the same time, those same federal agents were (and still are) turning a blind eye to the Heroin being imported from Afghanistan and the Marijuana being ‘muled’ in from Mexico. This is what is happening in African American communities all across our county right now. Can the complete genocide of the Black race, and us as a viable and productive ethnic group, be too far behind? African American leaders, the fate of our city rests with us. It is time for us to put aside our political differences, our jealous and hateful thoughts and come together as a united community to solve our problems. The solution to our problems does not rest with those law enforcement officers and elected officials, both Black and White, that are in leadership positions. It is time for the people of this community to come together to take back control. No one but us can do that. Like President Barack H. Obama said several years ago: We are the CHANGE that we seek. What are we waiting for? Page 14
Speak Out
Kum By Yah President Obama, Kum By Ya… Dear Editor: I, like most African Americans, am extremely proud and supportive of President Obama. And like most Buffalonians, I was thrilled when I heard he was coming to Buffalo. But the “thrill was gone” when I found out that there would not be a real public opportunity for most residents – Black, Brown and White - to hear him speak. As an African American, I was especially disheartened that although his motorcade actually whisked down William Street thru the Black community, passing Town Gardens Plaza, that was as close as he got to the voting block that is solidly behind him. Some residents of Town Gardens were non-the-less thrilled to get a picture of the passing car with their cell phones. The snipers on the roof and all the police presence, alerted them earlier that something big was going to happen. Pictures in the major newspapers made the good folks at the St. John Baptist Church rally look like they saw him too. But all they got was a glimpse of the motorcade flying across the thruway - hoping in vain that the president would see them and their message. Then I heard that the meeting at the factory he visited (its my understanding it only employs 3 Blacks) – we of course were in the minority. (On a positive note, Dorian Gaskin was there with his uncle Spencer Gaskin and got a chance to shake the president’s hand and contractor Saundra Ryce got a chance to ask him a question). And his visit to Duff’s Restaurant in the suburb of Cheektowaga is now famous for the disrespectful remark by a star-struck White woman from Caffee who called the president a “hottie with a smokin’ little body!” She should have had more respect for the leader of the “free world.” It’s “Mr. President” to you lady! That billboard that those White folks put up along the Niagara Thruway was distasteful and in my opinion, disrespectful as well. There’s a right way and a wrong way to ask for a job… plus, Mr. Obama inherited this mess. Did they tell former president George Bush, like they told President Obama in their billboard, that they wanted a “freakin’” job? That bs sign and disrespectful “hottie” comment made news around the world . Anyway, its over now. I still love Mr. Obama and I’ll still vote for him. But the whole day left me humming that old negro spiritual, “Kum by Yah” (“Come By Here”). If he had done so, the president definitely would have gotten more respect! -A Black Lady With Too Many Family Members Who Work In High Places To Sign Her Name MYCHALLENGERNEWS.COM
A Message From Michael… Dear Editor: I would like to express my deep appreciation and sincere gratitude for the kindness and support provided to me and my family by the many friends, acquaintances and compassionate people following the tragic accident in which my grandson died and I was hospitalized for three weeks. Although I was not able to attend Asa’s funeral, I have been impressed by the many statements and feelings shared with me by those who attended. By their expressions, it was truly an uplifting experience. And unique, in that there was a shared sense of communion among a very diverse cultural, ethnic, racial, gender oriented group that over filled the Unitarian Church and spilled out onto lawn. Beyond unique, it seems the experience of “Celebrating the Life of Asa Biniam Hill” (2002 – 2009) became phenomenal as his parents kept secret their intentions to make their Wedding Vows, which were surprisingly conducted within the Celebration. To Celebrate Asa, they honored their commitment made to him prior to the accident, that they would get married. On video, I have seen the eruption of energy as the funeral celebration of Love transformed to wedding and marriage celebration of everlasting Love. One statement made by a family member was that, as she looked around the Church, she had a moment of recognition that she was among a diversity of people that she would not normally associate with. From her perspective, she was among people who held very different and conflicting views about life, sexuality and race. Being in such company was unusual for her, but rather than being uncomfortable, she was experiencing
a personal sense of togetherness with everyone that consumed the moment. She characterized the moment as “I ain’t mad at you”. In her expression, I felt there was recognition of experiencing a social communion in the Celebration that (at least for the time shared) bridged divisions in beliefs, judgments, prejudice and ignorance. I am thankful to be here to express my feelings, in honor of Asa, whose seven years in this earthly domain gave so much in Love and yet still gives. I offer to my family, friends and all Love Ones: Where there is error in my word, deed or thought let it be manifest, uplift me, and be reconciled in God’s Grace with those affected. Before it is all said and done about this personality known as Michael Hill, I will fulfill “Good Purpose”; with that I am whole, I am at Peace, I am committed. May the words of my mouth, and the meditations of my heart, be always acceptable in thy sight, oh Lord, my strength and my Redeemer. In the Spirit of Christ, One Love, -Michael E. Hill
-9Fill your bowl to the brim And it will spill. Keep sharpening your knife And it will blunt. Chase after money and security And your heart will never unclench. Care about people’s approval And you will be their prisoner. Do your work, then step back. The only path to serenity
The Meaning of The above image/logo, part of the Challenger flag, corresponds to one of the 81 chapters in Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching. This particular tetragram corresponds to number 27, defined as “The Skillful Exchange of Information.” (From R.L Wing’s book, The Tao of Power.) “The truth, always the truth--at all costs”
“What is planted cannot be uprooted.What is well embraced cannot slip away.” I CHING
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MAY 19, 2010
From Behind The Curtain: Whatever Happened to the Darryn Gibson Case? Dear Editor: Whatever happen to the Darryn Gibson case, which is part of Indictment # 41-413? There was a time I can recall reading in this newspaper about all the community support, as some organizations and individuals who believed in his innocence, worked for his exoneration. I attended the True Bethel Church one Sunday and heard the words about the injustice bestowed upon this brother as he was wrongfully convicted and forced to serve 33 years for a crime he knew nothing about. God Bless his mother Rev. Diane Cole of First Shiloh Baptist Church, whom I’m sure still prays and envisions her son’s name being cleared in this matter. The word from the court house is “THEY DIDN’T DO IT AND I SAY IT WITHOUT HESITATION OR RESERVATION , BASED ON THE EVIDENCE” according to Judge James A.W. McLeod. My question to everyone is, enlighten of the fact that numerous cases are being overturned, why with all the support of the community, organizations, churches and judges have we not demanded that this case be re-heard? What is really holding up the progress of this case? Surely, someone should rightfully take the blame for the devilish deed done decades ago. But Darryn Gibson can no longer defend himself against the false accusation of MURDER. So forever he lays in Forest Lawn, plot number 454, as A CONVICTED KILLER!!!! This is, unless we the people organize and do something about it. Who are the lawyers of this case and where are the families and the Codefendants? Will somebody please let me know? T.M.K, Buffalo -
Been There; Done That...
For the last 10 months, as Co-Chair of the Erie County Prisoners Rights Coalition, I have been hearing and reading stories about people’s horrific experiences at our now infamous Erie County Holding Center. These stories show how a marginalized group of people can be so easily discounted, abused, ignored, and dehumanized while being confined at this facility as well as the Erie County Correctional Facility in Alden. The coalition is working hard to make changes but we cannot easily undo what decades of jail mismanagement have created. Our task is made even more difficult when our words fall on deaf ears and our presence is not acknowledged. The next meeting of Prisoners Are People Too will take place on Monday, May 24, 2010. Unlike previous meetings, this one will NOT take place at the Pratt-Willert Community Center nor meet at the regular time. This month’s meeting will incorporate a book signing ceremony and panel discussion which will take place at 5:30pm at the “2nd Cup Cafe,” 36 Broadway, in Downtown Buffalo. The featured author is a Tampa, Florida resident, James Scott, born and raised in Buffalo, whose family owned the Kensington Place Restaurant on Buffalo’s Eastside for more than twenty years. The book he has written is entitled Intake and it details his 2005 experiences at both the Erie County Holding Center and the Erie County Correctional Facility. Having been confined in both facilities and he has now published a first-hand account of what he had to undergo. Intake provides a “been there; done that” scenario that is both powerful and honest. At our next meeting, attendees will hear Mr. Scott read from his book and they will have an opportunity to ask questions. A distinguished panel will be on hand to enlarge the discussion of a book that Mr. Scott began writing while he was in the holding center. His writing kept him sane and very clear about why he was there. Focusing on his writing helped him to see how incarceration affects mind, body, and spirit. Writing lifted him above and beyond his pain and suffering to a place where he could clearly see how certain groups are targeted for arrest and confinement. His writing took him to a place where he could examine a system that exists not to “correct” but to degrade, -- not to improve but to impair. His experiences opened his eyes to the truth of a system that functions, not to keep the public safe but to further divide the “haves” from the “have nots.” He witnessed the truth of a broken system that operates overtime, double time, and triple time to maintain the status quo as it continues to deny the humanity of people who find themselves face-to-face with people in power who can be thoughtless, abusive, heartless, and inhumane. Beyond this, Mr. Scott’s book also examines crime-generative factors that affect our community and the responsibility we have to bring about positive change. According to Mr. Scott, “This book contains the mind of a man. It details the psychological devastation of being an inmate. Intake infringes on social views concerning the state of man. Intake uses history as food for Continued Page 16 MAY 19, 2010
BLACK AGENDA REPORT
Another View of Elena Kagan
The Supreme Court- Is This Why We Vote For Democrats? By Bruce A. Dixon Supreme Court appointments, BAR’s own Freedom Rider Margaret Kimberley pointed out a couple weeks ago, are the clinching argument on behalf of every Democratic presidential candidate. Send a Republican to the White House, the alibi goes, and that Republican will send platoons of corporate-funded, antichoice, authoritarian, warmongerng, racist, Constitution-shredding, pro-Federalist black robed goons to the federal bench, and one or two to the Supreme Court. Some alibis, like “the kid down the street does it all the time,” are true, but beside the point. The point is what kinds of judges do Democrats appoint? What kinds of judges is Barack Obama appointing? Back in 2009 we examined the preSupreme Court career of Sonia Sotomayor, comparing it to the pre high court careers of the only two previous nonwhite Supreme Court justices, Clarence Thomas and Thurgood Marshall. It was evident that Sotomayor’s legal career bore a lot more resemblance to that of Clarence Thomas than to that of the illustrious Thurgood Marshall, who defended black people on death row in several states and campaigned for the undoing of Jim Crow laws for a quarter century. Instead of some corporate-funded, anti-choice, authoritarian, warmongerng, racist, Constitution-shredding, pro-Federalist black robed goon, just who is President Obama sending to the Supreme Court? Who is Elena Kagan? She has little public record to go on, but what there is, is profoundly disturbing. Corporate-funded? From 2005 to 2008, Elena Kagan served on the Research Advisory Council of Goldman Sachs’ Global Markets Institute. Lawyers and clients are as a rule both consenting adults (whether human or corporations) and choose each other for their own reasons. Anti-choice? As domestic policy advisor to President Clinton, Elena Kagan was a vigorous advocate of banning late term abortions, according to memos obtained by ABC News. Authoritarian? Warmongering? Constitution-shredding? There is some evidence indicating that Elena Kagan supports a view of presidential power that would make Dick Cheney proud. When being examined by the US Senate for confirmation to her present post as solicitor general, Kagan agreed with the proposition that the entire planet is a “battlefield” and anybody the US government snatches from any spot thereon is subject to being considered something like what Bush used to call an “unlawful combatant.” Racist? Pro-federalist? As dean of Harvard Law School she made 32 tenuretrack appointments. 25 went to white MY C H A LLE N GE R N E W S .C OM
men. Six went to White women, and one to an Asian woman. She managed not to hire a single Black, Latino or Native American tenure track law professor. Several of her hires were prominent members of the Federalist Society, a cabal of right wing attorneys whose objective is nothing less than repeal of most of the 20th century. The damage that Republican Supreme Court judges like Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas, to name only a couple, have done is truly incalculable. If appointing a justice who could be counted on to undo and clear away some of that right wing wreckage is too much to ask, what does it say for the main reason, the clinching reason given for supporting Democratic presidential candidates? This is a crucial and defining moment for the presidency of Barack Obama, the instant at which he leaves his mark on the high court for perhaps twenty or thirty years to come. Retiring justice John Paul Stevens is indisputably the most “liberal” voice on the court, a man with a clear record of opposing many racist practices and authoritarian tendencies. Stevens is the liberal anchor of the court. To replace that liberal anchor with anyone less committed to upholding the rights of the poor and powerless is to unleash and further empower the likes of Roberts, Scalia and Thomas. That’s precisely what President Obama accomplishes with the appointment of Elena Kagan. Hundreds, even thousands of gifted attorneys have voiced their opinions in columns, books and law journals and blogs on the ills and evils of patriarchy and corporate rule, on the need to protect nature and the environment, on how to remedy historic race-based inequities, even on how to end the nation’s universal policy of Black mass imprisonment. None of them could be considered for the Supreme Court. We’ve come to the point where, to be considered by a Democratic president for a Supreme Court appointment, one has to be nearly indistinguishable from a Republican. What does that say about how peopleproof and democracy-proof our parties and political systems have become? It’s time for everybody to face the fact that the gifted Black man in the White House has not been kidnapped by corporations. He’s not being muzzled by mysterious forces, and he’s not waiting for some public or secret signal from on high or down low to start looking out for the interests of ordinary people. The Black man in the White House today has more in common with the last two or three or ten white men in that White House than he’s ever had with the interests of ordinary people. His differences with some of them, with Clinton, Reagan
and the Bushes, are more nuance than substance. Historically, the last three Democratic presidents all came after Republicans. Democratic presidents, for some reason, do not succeed other Democrats,. They never leave small-d democratic legacies upon which to build. What the last three Democrats in the White House have done is continue and extend the work of their Republican predecessors after those Republicans have become too unpopular to do it themselves. Carter came in just after the end of the Vietnam war. He did what Nixon and Ford could not have done, committing the US to military intervention anywhere in the world that oil supplies were at stake, and began the enormous US military buildup in the Middle East. After Bush failed twice to get NAFTA through Congress, Bill Clinton made it his top priority, along with expanding the war on drugs” initiated under Reagan and Bush. For every two Black men in prison when Clinton took office, there were three when he left. Barack Obama has banned the phrase “global war on terror” while he continues policies of torture, kidnapping and secret imprisonment, policies by the way, which Kagan endorses. While the financial crisis did break in the final days of the Bush administration, Barack Obama has shoveled upwards of $23 trillion in public funds into the pockets of Wall Street speculators, more than both Bushes and all his predecessors together. He has continued the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and Somalia, spread them into Pakistan and Yemen, and passed a bailout of the drug and private health insurance industries disguised as a health care bill. While it’s certainly true that John McCain might have actually have found someone with horns, pitchfork and a tail, and a pointy head covered by a white sheet to appoint to the Supreme Court, this is no excuse for what Barack Obama is doing to millions of the loyal Democrats who voted for him, who expect and deserve much, much better. It’s really time to case excusing Obama by asking “what would John McCain do?’ A better legal yardstick, and one closer to the measure of Black America might be the life and career of Charles Hamilton Houston. A US army officer in World War 1, Houston attended Harvard Law School too, where he was chosen editor of the Harvard Law Review. He went on to be the dean of Howard University Law school and chief counsel for the NAACP, where he mentored Thurgood Marshall and the team of Black and White lawyers who defended Blacks on dozens of death Continued Page 16 Page 15
Langston Hughes Institute Inc. 25 High Street Buffalo, NY14203 PUBLIC NOTICE Langston Hughes Institute Inc. (LHI) is seeking the approval of the Buffalo Common Council for a Waiver of the LAND DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT (LDA) by which the property at 25 High St. and the adjacent parking lot were conveyed to LHI by the City under the auspices of the Buffalo Urban Renewal Agency (BURA). There will be a Public Hearing, May 25th, at 2:00 pm in Buffalo Common Council Chambers, City Hall for consideration of the Waiver of the LDA between Langston Hughes and the City of Buffalo. The LDA Waiver will enable the Institute to sell its existing property and acquire a new property within the Michigan Avenue Cultural Heritage Corridor. LHI’s plan for revitalization and retooling for development of new arts and cultural heritage services will be facilitated by sale of its property. The sale of LHI’s property has been approved by New York State. BURA has approved the Waiver and Council approval remains as the final step to enable LHI to initiate its strategic initiative for sustainability and service excellence.
KARIMA AMIN continued
thought. It details facts into theories of why social failures evolve. This entertaining book gives you detailed accounts of accused criminals and what led up to their arrest. Delve into the underworld of crime and punishment. The charm of the ending will fill the memory.” Prisoners Are People Too programs are sponsored by The Circle of Supporters for Reformed Offenders and Friends of BaBa Eng. For further information, contact Karima Amin: 716-834-8438; karima@prisonersarepeopletoo.org. (On June 28 we will return to the Pratt-Willert Community Center, 422 Pratt Street in Buffalo.)
bidS NOTICE TO BIDDERS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that sealed proposals for the Erie County Sewer District No. 3 Contract No. 42PS will be received by the Commissioner of the Erie County Department of Environment and Planning on June 3, 2010 until 2:00 P.M., local time, at 95 Franklin Street, Room 1034, Buffalo, New York, 14202, at which time they will be publicly opened and read aloud in Room 1004. The contract is located on the north side of Route 391 in the Town of Hamburg, New York, and includes replacement of a standby power diesel generator, and flood mitigation measures. Bidders are advised that a pre-bid meeting for the construction of this project is scheduled for May 27, 2010, at 10:30 A.M., Room 1004, 95 Franklin Street, Buffalo, New York. Copies of the contract documents, plans and specifications may be examined and purchased at the office of the Erie County Department of Environment and Planning, 10th Floor, 95 Franklin Street, Buffalo, New York 14202. Related information and a listing of prospective bidders can be found in Business Center, “Construction Bids and Engineering Proposals: on the Erie County Web Page @ WWW.ERIE.GOV The deposit for each set of contract documents shall be $100.00 in the form of two checks or money orders, each in the amount of one-half the deposit, and made payable to the Erie County Comptroller. Any bidder requesting a set of plans and specifications mailed to their office must arrange for a pre-paid delivery service or mail carrier. The envelope containing the bid must be sealed, addressed to the Erie County Commissioner of Environment and Planning and must be clearly and correctly designated as “Erie County Sewer District No. 3, Boston Valley Pump Station Generator Replacement and Flood Mitigation, Contract No. 42PS.” Any bids not delivered in person shall be mailed to the Erie County Commissioner of Environment and Planning, 95 Franklin Street, Room 1034, Buffalo, New York 14202, and received prior to the time set for the bid opening. Any bidder returning such plans and specifications in good condition within thirty (30) days following the award of the contract or the rejection of bids will be refunded the full amount of the deposit. Non-bidders will be refunded one-half the deposit. Any bidder requesting more than one (1) set of plans and specifications may purchase the excess, but it is understood that they are not returnable. No refund will be made for documents returned after the thirty-day period. Erie County Sewer District No. 3 is an exempt organization under the Tax Law, and is exempt from payment of Sales and Compensating Use Taxes which are to be incorporated into the project and which are to be separately sold by the Contractors to the Owner prior to incorporation into the project, pursuant to the provisions of the contract. These taxes are not to be included in the bid. Sales tax will be due on all materials purchased by a Contractor which are either “consumable” or rental property used by the Contractor in connection with the construction or repair. Each proposal must be accompanied by a certified check payable to the Erie County Comptroller or by a bid bond having a surety thereon from a surety company acceptable to the County Attorney, in an amount not less than five percent (5%) of the total base bid, as surety for execution of the contract. The successful bidder will be required to furnish Payment and Performance Bond, each in an amount equal to 100 percent of the contract award. Attention of the bidder is called particularly to requirements with respect to conditions of employment to be observed, minimum wages rates to be paid under the contract, Affirmative Action requirements for Equal Employment Opportunity, along with the Minority Business Enterprise Utilization Commitment. Bidders are also advised that Part “A” of the Erie county Minority Business Enterprise/Women’s Business Enterprise Utilization Report be submitted with the bid or no later than three (3) business days after the bid opening. The attention of the bidder is called to the provisions of Article 5A of the General Municipal Law which requires the bidder to execute a certificate of non-collusion and to conform with the other provisions of Article 5A outlined in the specifications. A form for such certificate accompanies the bid form. Unless it is property executed, the bid will not be accepted. The right to reject any and all bids, to waive any informalities in, or to make any award to other than the low bidder, should it be deemed to be in the best interest of Erie County Sewer District No. 3 and in accordance with Law, are herewith reserved. No bidder may withdraw his bid within 45 days after the date set for the opening thereof, but may withdraw same anytime prior to the scheduled time for opening bids.
WILL RETURN NEXT WEEK. Page 16
BY ORDER OF: Michael J. Quinn, P.E. Deputy Commissioner Department of Environment and Planning
Dated: May 7, 2010 Published: May 19, 2010 MYCHALLENGERNEWS.COM
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SUPREME COURT
continued
rows and brought Brown V. Board of Education to the Supreme Court. Instead of lowering the bar of expectation by asking “who would John McCain appoint to the Supreme Court?” we ought to reclaim our own agency and ask “who would Charles Hamilton Houston appoint?” A former criminal defense lawyer? There hasn’t been one of them on the court since Thurgood Marshall.
A public interest, environmental, or anti-trust lawyer? A human rights lawyer who opposes torture and unjust wars? Or perhaps someone who isn’t even a lawyer. The possibilities are endless, once we free our minds and our politics from the people-proof and democracy-proof choices between Republicans and Democrats.
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bidS Board of Education Buffalo, New York Division of Purchase 716-816-3585 **Sealed proposals will be received in Room 816 City Hall On: Tuesday, May 25, 2010 at 11:00 AM for BID #09-10096 CONSTRUCTION PAPER FOR SERVICE CENTER STOCK On: We d n e s d a y, M a y 26, 2010 at 2:00 PM for BID #09-10-097 NYSED PARENT REPORT CARD MAIL PROCESSING Jennifer Lo Tempio Purchasing Agent MAY 19, 2010
Legal NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT: COUNTY OF ERIE - KEYBANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION , Plaintiff, AGAINST CHERESE M. ABRAM, ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to a judgment of foreclosure and sale duly dated 1/23/2009, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the 92 Franklin Street, Erie County Hall, at Buffalo, New York, on 5/27/2010 at 10:00 AM, premises known as 94 Ivanhoe Road, CHEEKTOWAGA, NY 14225. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Town of CHEEKTOWAGA, County of Erie and State of New York, Section:90.76, Block: 2, Lot: 3. Approximate amount of judgment $51,969.88 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #08-6356. Deborah Becerra, Referee, FRENKEL, LAMBERT, WEISS, WEISMAN & GORDON, LLP, Attorney for Plaintiff 20 West Main Street, Bay Shore, NY 11706 Dated: 4/23/2010
bid S Invitation to Bid - NFTA Procurement Bid 4000 Brake Lining Material, 6/4/10 Bid 4002 Brake Slack Adjusters, 6/1/10 Bid 4003 Floor Coating, 5/28/10 RFP 4004 Line of Credit, 6/3/10 See www.nfta.com to download bid documents.
employment Catholic Charities has an excellent professional development opportunity available for the following position: Closing the Gap Coordinator Closing the Gap in Student Performance (CTG) is a community partnership designed to ameliorate non-academic barriers for students in targeted Buffalo City Schools. The role of the CTG Coordinator is to supervise and support the day-to-day activities of the school based human service program staff, assisting them in maximizing service delivery to students in their partner schools. The successful candidate must be well versed in outcome measurement, evaluation, and direct experience with monitoring budgets, identifying resources, grant writing and reporting. Familiarity with the Buffalo provider community, strong communication, management and leadership skills a must. Master’s degree in related field such as social services or public administration or a Bachelor’s degree in related fields with five years of experience in project management, including staff and volunteer management and resource development required. Solid computer skills, including Microsoft Word, Excel and Access necessary and must possess a valid driver’s license with reliable transportation. Interested & qualified candidates may forward resume & cover letter with Job # 201032 to: Catholic Charities, 741 Delaware Ave, Buffalo, NY 14209, Attn: HR. EOE/M/F
Tuesdays 12 NOON - 1 P.M.
R equest for P roposals REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS Service Coordinator Program in Public Housing The Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority has received a grant to develop and implement a service coordinator program in public housing. In order to achieve that goal, the BMHA is issuing a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) from qualified entities. Interested parties may contact Carol Wilhelm at cwilhelm@bmha.ci.buffalo.ny.us or by calling 716-855-0081 ext. 21 for a copy of the full announcement. The purpose of the Service coordinator program from the US Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) is to provide funding to hire and maintain Service Coordinators who will assess the needs of non-elderly public housing resident and coordinate available resources in the community to meet those needs. Account #10-77-000-00-00-419000-0000-00 MAY 19, 2010
Catholic Charities has an excellent professional development opportunity available for the following position: MST Therapist Seeking individuals for Erie County to provide community based treatment to families with youth with delinquent behaviors. Service is delivered according to a specific model that is evidenced based. Basic knowledge in social ecological theory, family therapies, cognitive behavior therapy and behavioral therapies preferred. Ideal candidate will possess an MSW, MA/MS in related field, or BA with equivalent field experience. Reliable transportation and willingness to work nontraditional hours required. Interested & qualified candidates may forward resume & cover letter with Job # 201033 to: Catholic Charities, 741 Delaware Ave, Buffalo, NY 14209, Attn: HR. EOE/M/F
Catholic Charities has an excellent professional development opportunity available for the following position:
Social Worker III
F/T Social Worker position available to provide intake assessment and assistance, case management services and individual/family counseling, working out of several offices in Niagara County. Candidate must have strong clinical skills to provide individual, couples and family therapy, ability to independently assess, develop diagnosis and implement treatment plan. MSW, LMSW, LCSW preferred with reliable transportation and willing to work 2 evenings per week. Iterested & qualified candidates may forward resume & cover letter with Job # 201031 to: Catholic Charities, 741 Delaware Ave, Buffalo, NY 14209, Attn: HR. EOE/M/F
The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority Seeks to fill the following position: MECHANICS – The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority
(NFTA) is recruiting for Mechanics. These positions involves the preparation, performance and inspection of vehicles, discover and diagnose defects and unsafe conditions of buses; plan and perform repairs, additions, replacement, and adjustments to vehicles. Applicant must be willing to work with minimum supervision. Applicant must be a high school graduate or GED. To apply: Interested persons should visit www.nfta.com to view complete job description. Send cover letter, resume and NFTA/Metro employment application (available at www.nfta.com) to: NFTA-Metro, Human Resources Dept. Job #134-09-M, 181 Ellicott St., Bflo., NY 14203. Application Deadline June 1, 2010. The NFTA offers competitive salary and comprehensive benefit package. M/F/D/V/EOE
ADVERTISING PAYS
(716) 897-0442 advertising@thechallengernews.com
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NUMBERS
WIN 4 TAKE 5
LOTTO
HOT TIPS
SUN 5/9
MID-702 EVE-799
NEW YORK NUMBERS MON 5/10
MID-110 EVE-094
TUES 5/11
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SAT5/15
FRI 5/14
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THURS 5/13
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CHALLENGER HITS
MIDDAY
EVENING
110-ZR (bx) 930-Grandma & Quick 294-Quick $$ & Pices $$ (bx) (bx) 099-Quick $$ & 120-Scorpio (bx) Number Book (bx) **298-Slick Willie **711-Mama Ruth (Straight)* (Straight)* 069-Grandma’s Pix (bx)
MAY VIBRATIONS 222-301-549-947-284-376 659-853-917-762-758
On-Going Events
WEEKLY MEETINGS
*Stop The Violence Coalition Meeting: 5:30 p.m. 742 Delaware Ave. 882-7882. Fridays. *Buffalo Local Action Committee Meeting (BLAC): 6:30 p.m. Pratt Willert Center, 422 Pratt St. Thursdays *TOPS Club, Inc. (Take Off Pounds Sensibly): 6 p.m.; Edward Saunders Community Center, 2777 Bailey Ave.; 834-6095. Mondays *African Consciousness Workshop: 6-8 p.m.; Frank E. Merriweather Library, 1324 Jefferson Avenue. Mondays *The Israel of God Bible Study Class: 6 p.m.; 372 Feugeron Ave.; 897-2270. Wednesdays *Health and Healing Circles: 3:30-5 p.m.; CAO, 70 Harvard Pl.; 903-3290, Wednesdays *Moot Senior Center “Best Breakfast in Town”: 9-10:30 a.m. 292 High St., Wednesdays *Men and Women Support Groups: 5:30-7 p.m.; 1333 Jefferson Avenue; hosted by Group Ministries, Inc. Thursdays *Alcoholics Anonymous First Step Group: 8-9 p.m.; Memorial Medical Center Auditorium, 621 10th St. Niagara Falls. Fridays *Narcotics Anonymous: 5-7 p.m.; Memorial Medical Center Auditorium, 621 10t St. Sundays *Senior Bridge Club/Poker Club: 1-4 p.m.; Delavan Grider Center, 877 E. Delavan; 896-7021.
ENTERTAINMENT
*The Café at Masten & Eaton Presents “Friday Evening Jazz”: 8 p.m.; 230 Masten Avenue; 883-2311. Fridays *Swinging Sundays: 8:00 p.m.-12 p.m.; Colored Musicians Club, 145 Broadway; 855-9383. *“Classic Soul Mixer”: 7-10 p.m.; Pandora’s Restaurant & Bar, 2261 Fillmore Ave. Fridays. MAY 19, 2010
CALENDAR OF EVENTS WEDNESDAY MAY 19
MONDAY MAY 24
Malcolm X Celebration Dinner: CRUCIAL Center, 4-6 p.m.; 230 Moselle St.
Book Signing: James Scott, author of “Intake,”; 5:30 p.m., Second Cup Café, 36 Broadway downtown. Free and open to public; (727)534-4264 for info.
THURSDAY MAY 20 School 87/Clinton Jr. High School Alumni Committee Membership Kick Off Drive: 7:30 p.m., Pratt Willert Center, 422 Pratt St.
On-Going Events DANCE
Dance Lessons with Smooth Steppers: Urban Line Dance, smooth style Ballroom, Steppin’ and Swing; CRUCIAL Center, 230 Moselle St., Saturdays at noon; Tuesdays at 6 p.m. $3; 633-7813. *Line Dancing With Pearl Harris: 6-7 p.m. Pratt Willert Community Center, 422 Pratt St. donation $2. Wednesdays *Community Dance and African Drumming Classes: African American Cultural Center, 350 Masten Avenue, 3 p.m. Saturdays and 5 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays; $15 monthly; visit www.africancultural.org more information *Line Dancing Lessons, First Shiloh Baptist Church, 15 Pine St., 6:30 p.m. Fridays. 847-6555. Free. *Line Dance Lessons: 10 a.m.-Noon; Martha Mitchell Center, 175 Oakmont St.; 444-2046 or 833-1038, Tuesdays Wednesdays *Line Dance by George Patterson: 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m.; Delavan Grider Center, 896-7021, Mondays & Thursdays. *June-Teenth Afrikan Family Time Drum Dance and Song: 6-8:30 p.m.; GatewayLongview Family Resource Center, 347 Ferry Street. Fridays * Argentine Tango Every Monday with Travis Widrick 7 - 10 p.m. 1st hour beginners lesson,The Gallery @ Chow Chocolat, 731 Main St. *Salsa Night Every Wednesday with Calvin and Fanny 7 - 10 p.m .1st hour beginners lesson The Gallery @ Chow Chocolat 731 Main St. *Latin Night 1st/3rd Friday with Chun Poh, Salsa, Merengue, ChaCha, Bachata 8 p.m.- midnight, Chow Chocolat 731 Main St. *Urban Ballroom Stepping, Swing, Beginners Salsa (all classes $3, 633-7813); Tuesdays 6-7 p.m. Urban Line Dancing; 7-8 p.m. Ballroom Stepping; Saturdays 1-3 p.m. Ballroom Stepping, West Coast Swing, Beginners Salsa. *Urban Line Dance: Learn some of the latest hot line dances,Mondays Old 600 Club, Mondays 7-9 p.m.; Wednesdays 6:15-8 p.m., ,St. Philips 15 Fernhill.
POETRY
*Open Mic Poetry: 6:30-9 p.m.; EM Tea Coffee Cup Café, 80 Oakgrove St.
EXERCISE
*Senior Fitness Class: 9:45-10:45 a.m.; Delavan Grider Center, 877 E. Delavan; 896-7021; Wednesdays *Exercise for Health: 9:30-10:30; Edward A. Saunders Center, 2777 Bailey Avenue; 332-4381 Thursdays *Open Gym: 5-8 p.m.; Delavan Grider Center, 877 E. Delavan; 896-7021. Fridays *Tae-Kwan-do: 6-8 p.m.; Delavan Grider Center, 877 E. Delavan; 896-7021. Mondays & Fridays *Senior Fitness Class: 9:45-10:30 a.m.: Delavan Grider Center, 877 E. Delavan; 896-7021. Mondays
Free Training for Landlords Course: HOME offices, 700 Main Street; 8541400 ext. 22 to pre-register. FRIDAY MAY 21 Farmer’s Market at Grider Opens: ECMC Parking Lot, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. every Friday. SATURDAY MAY 22 Grassroots Inc. 25th Anniversary Celebration: New Golden Nugget, 2046 Fillmore Ave.; $50; Rev. Darius Pridgen guest speaker; 6 p.m.
TUESDAY MAY 25 Public Hearing Involving Langston Hughes Institute: 2 P.M., Buffalo Common Council Chambers, City Hall. WEDNESDAY MAY 26 Cancer Wellness Center Spirituality and Healing “The Power of the Mind to Heal”: 6:30-8:30 p.m. Daemen College, call 694-1395 for more info or to register. Public Hearing Buffalo Board of Education: 4:30 p.m. City Hall Re: Tapestry Charter School. SEE YOU AT THE
EVENTS!
8 Centuries of Muslims In America: 11 a.m.; Frank E. Merriweather Library, Jefferson Ave.; free. Breakfast With County Legislator Barbara Miller Williams and Fillmore District Council Member David Franczyk: 10 a.m. – noon, CRUCIAL Center, 230 Moselle St. SUNDAY MAY 23 Calvary CME Church Community Awards Dinner: 5 P.M., Buffalo Convention Center ; honoring 50+ men of the community in honor of church’s 90th anniversary; 881-6947. SEE YOU AT THE
EVENTS!
RADIO/TV PROGRAMMING
*Sen. Antoine Thompson Radio Show, Thursdays 1-2 p.m.; WUFO Radio 1080AM. *Community Health Center of Buffalo, “CHCB TV”Buffalo Pubic Access Station Mon. @ 9:30 p.m. & Wed.@ 11 a.m.; & on ION Media (Time Warner Ch. 18) Saturdays @ 6:30 a.m. *Pro-Ject Access To A-Free-Ka Radio Show: 3-6 p.m. 1080 AM WUFO; hosted by Ras Jomo; call in 837-111,, Mondays. *Khametic Ascendants Buffalo: 9 a.m. & 12:30 p.m. (nite); Buffalo Channel 20 Video showings; live speakers. Wednesdays *My Time To Be Blessed! Channel 20, Cable TV, Evangelist Gloria Caver-Robinson Gill; Mondays and Fridays 2 to 2:28 p.m. Sundays. *Umoja Presents: 10:30 p.m.; Channel 20. *Jazz Favorites: 9-10 p.m. WBFO Radio 88.7 AM with host/producer Macy Favor and guest. *What’s Happening Buffalo and WNY: 8:30 a.m. MYTV Buffalo; host Esther Smothers. Sundays. *WHLD 1270 AM Real Distinguished Speakers Series: 3-4 p.m.; hosted by Marc L. Fuller, with guest speaker. Saturdays.
*Affordable Homes Presents “Mo’ Money “Mo’ Money: 8-8:30 p.m.; WHLD 1270 AM Radio Ministry. Saturdays. MAY 19, 2010
MY C H A LLE N GE R N E W S .C OM
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HATTITUDE! LEWAC Associates hosted a successful fundraising luncheon - “Hattitude”- May 1 at the Adam’s Mark Hotel. Ladies wore their favorite hats and learned about heart health for women. There was good food, friendship and fellowship! Hats off to LEWAC and all the lovely ladies! PHOTOS PRINCESS PHOTOGRAPHY
Census
I want to be counted so
2010
Rochester’s
If you haven’t filled out your 2010 U.S. Census form yet, trained Census takers will be stopping by your home to assist you. Please welcome them. The Census 2010 is used to make decisions that will impact every one of us. Your answers will help secure funding for hospitals, job training centers, schools, senior centers, public works projects like bridges and tunnels and emergency services. It’s fast, easy and confidential. It takes less than 10 minutes to complete. Fill out your form and mail it in! Questions? Call 311
Census 2010. Don’t Forget to be Counted. www.cityofrochester.gov/census2010
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MYCHALLENGERNEWS.COM Census 2010 ad for Challenger Size: 10” w X 7”h Insertion date: May 12 & 19 issues
MAY 19, 2010